Sony Mirrorless Camera a1 II

Sony Mirrorless Camera a1 II

Sony
30 Overall Score
vs
Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023

Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023

Panasonic
97 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Sony Mirrorless Camera a1 II

85 out of 100 medium confidence 12 reviews

The Sony A1 II earns strong praise for its superior autofocus, image quality, and speed, with many users upgrading from previous models and reporting noticeable improvements. Several reviewers highlight its excellence for wildlife and sports photography, though a few express disappointment with sharpness and software compatibility. Minor complaints include the fragile hot shoe cover and a complex initial firmware update.

Pros
  • Superior autofocus performance
  • Excellent image quality
  • Fast burst shooting up to 30fps
  • Improved ergonomics over A1
  • Pre-capture feature
Cons
  • Fragile hot shoe cover
  • Complex initial firmware update
  • RAW incompatibility with Mac
  • Disappointing sharpness for sports
  • Hot shoe water sensitivity
👍 Autofocus performance 5
👍 Image quality 6
👍 Speed and burst 4
👍 Ergonomics 3
👍 Wildlife and sports photography 4
👎 Hot shoe cover issue 2

Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023

92 out of 100 high confidence 51 reviews

The Panasonic Lumix S5II is overwhelmingly praised as a fantastic hybrid camera that finally brings phase-detect autofocus to the L-mount lineup. Users highlight its excellent video features, including a fan for unlimited recording, great stabilization, and beautiful color science, all at a very competitive price. A few long-term users report a shutter button issue, and some note the limited lens selection compared to Sony, but the vast majority consider it the best value full-frame camera under $2,000.

Pros
  • Excellent phase-detect autofocus
  • Great video quality and codecs
  • Internal fan prevents overheating
  • Outstanding image stabilization
  • Beautiful color science
Cons
  • Shutter button issue after extended use
  • Limited lens selection compared to Sony
  • APS-C crop in 4K 60p
  • Rolling shutter at fast pans
  • External monitor disables internal display info
👍 Autofocus performance 12
👍 Video quality 10
👍 Overheating prevention 6
👍 Image stabilization 5
👍 Value for money 8
👎 Shutter button reliability 2

Scores

Beginner
Sony
31
Panasonic
96
Video
Sony
36
Panasonic
93
Wedding Events
Sony
26
Panasonic
92
Sports Wildlife
Sony
20
Panasonic
92
Photography
Sony
22
Panasonic
87
Youtube
Sony
26
Panasonic
86
Travel
Sony
23
Panasonic
85
Streaming
Sony
40
Panasonic
85
Product Photography
Sony
26
Panasonic
84
Vlogging
Sony
22
Panasonic
82

Specifications

Sony Mirrorless Camera a1 IIPanasonic Lumix S S5 II
Sensor
Type—CMOS
Size—full-frame
Megapixels—24.200000762939453 MP★
ISO Range100100
Processor—L2
Autofocus
AF PointsNo data
779
AF Type—Photo, VideoContrast Detection, Phase Detection: 779
Eye AF—✓★
Animal AF—✓★
Subject Detection—✓★
Shooting
Burst (Mechanical)—30 fps★
Burst (Electronic)—30 fps★
Max Shutter1/320001/8000
Electronic Shutter✓✓
Video
Max Resolution4K6K★
4K FPS—60 fps★
1080p FPS—100 fps★
10-bit—✓★
Log Profile—✓★
RAW Video—✓★
Codec—H.264/H.265/MOV/MP4/ProRes 4:2:2/4:2:0 8/10-Bit
Display & EVF
Screen Size3.2"★3"
Touchscreen—✓★
Articulating—✓★
EVF Resolution—3.7M dots★
Build
Weather Sealed—✓★
Weight0.45 kg★0.66 kg
Battery Life420 shots★370 shots
Connectivity
Wi-Fi✓✓
Bluetooth✗✓★
USBYes (Available with USB Type-C Terminal. USB Power Delivery suppUSB-C★
HDMIHDMI connector (Type-A) 3840 x 2160 (59.94p / 50p / 29.97p / 25pHDMI Output
Hot Shoe—✓★

Pros & Cons

Sony Mirrorless Camera a1 II

  • Strong battery (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong connectivity (75th percentile)
  • Below average build (19th percentile)19th %ile
  • Below average sensor (29th percentile)
  • Below average display (30th percentile)
  • Below average burst (33rd percentile)

Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Black 2023

  • Strong display (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong build (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong connectivity (96th percentile)96th %ile

Verdict

★ Winner: Panasonic Lumix S S5 II

Scores 97 overall, wins 10 of 10 usage categories and 20 of 33 specs.

Panasonic Lumix S S5 II Better at:

VideoTravelYoutubeBeginnerVloggingStreamingPhotographyWedding EventsSports WildlifeProduct Photography